ST MOCHOEMOC, ABBOT - 13 MARCH

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MARCH

Saints celebrated on the 13th of March

WELCOME!

SAINT MOCHOEMOC, ABBOT 

Having been educated under Saint Comgall, in the monastery of Benchor, Saint Mochoemoc (in Latin: Pulcherius) laid the foundation of the great monastery of Liath-Mochoemoc, around which a large town was raised, which still bears that name. 

THE MONASTERY OF LIATH-MOCHOEMOC

His happy death is placed by the chronologists on March 13, 655. See Usher’s Antiquities in Tab. Chron. and Colgan*.

Source: Fr Butler's Lives of the Saints

*THE ENTRY IN THE ACTA SANCTORUM HIBERNIÆ (Colgan, 1645)

[Saint Pulcherius'] father's name was Beoanus ; he was a skilful artificer, and of an honourable family in Connaught ; but being compelled to fly into exile, he came into the neighbourhood of Saint Ita. 

She, hearing of his professional skill, and being anxious to make some addition to the buildings of her convent, requested him to undertake the work. He consented, on the conditions of receiving Nesse, the sister of the saint, as his wife, and also some land on which to settle. 

St Ita acquiesced in the proposition, and gave him her sister Ness to wife; and he, with great assiduity, applied himself to erect the buildings in the monastery of the saint. 

It happened, after a time, that in battle, whither he had followed a certain chieftain, Beoanus was killed; and his head, being cut off, was carried away a great distance. St Ita was, of course, very much grieved at this occurrence, particularly as she had promised her brother in-law that he would have a son, which promise was unfulfilled, as his wife had been sterile up to this time. 

St Ita went to the field of battle, and found the mutilated body of Beoanus, but, of course, without the head. She, however, prayed that it might be shown to her, and the bead, through the divine power, flew through the air, and stopped where the body lay before her; and the Lord, at the entreaty of his handmaid, made the head adhere to the body as perfectly as if had never been cut off, except that a slight mark of the wound remained ; and the space of one hour having passed, he rose alive, saluting the servant of the Lord, and returning thanks to God. 

After the return of Beoanus, his wife conceived, and she brought forth a son, as St Ita had promised. This son was Pulcherius, and he remained with the saint until he reached his twentieth year.